Parachute attachment for airships.



W. A. NAGEL. PARACHUTE ATTACHMENT FOR AIRSHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 13, 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

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WILLIAM A. NAGEL, F HARRISON, OHIO.

PARAGHU'IE ATTACHMENT FOR AIRSHIPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 19.1.3.

Application filed August 13, 1912. Serial No. 714,931.

To (1 'Il/l.()))lit may concern.

Be it known that I, TILLIAM A Nature, citizen of the Uiuted States residmg at Harrison, in the county of I- amilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parachute Attachments for Airships, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a parachute which may be quickly released from an airship or aeroplane and which will be quickly opened to retard the descent of the aviator, so that, in the event of an accident, the aviator may reach the ground safely.

A further object of the invention is to )rovide means whereby the parachute may be stored within a small compass upon the air-craft and be positively released and opened when needed for use.

Other incidental objects of the invention will appear as the description of the same proceeds, and the invention consists in certain novel features which will be particularly pointed out in the claims following the description.

In the accompanying drawings which fully illustrate my invention: Fi ire 1 is a perspective view of a )ortion 0' an acreplane showing the position of the parachute thereon when it is closed; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section throu h the parachute container with the parac iute therein; Fig. 8 is a pcrsiective view showing the parachute releasec and partly'open.

In carrying out m invention, I secure-to a convenient point'o the sup orting frame 1, of the aero lane a prefera ly cy i l holder or con aiaer 2 which is open at both top and bottom and is connected rigidly with the frame by brackets 3 at its lower end, as shown. The frame, or a part of the same, extends across the lower end of this container so as to form a stop for a coiled spring 4 therein, and the upper coil of the spring is engaged by hooks 5 formed on the upper end of kee er rods 6 depending from the container ant having their lower ends )l'OVltlGd with oppositely disposed lugs 7. .hose keeper rods are connected above their lower ends by a cross bar 8 carrying a in 0 which may be cnga ed by one end of a over .10 so that the rm a may be drawn downwardly and thereby compress the spring. After the spring has been compressed, a horizontally movable locking rod or trip 11 belt 19 which is n'clrica is engaged over the lugs 7 so as to hold the keepers in their lowest position and retain the coiled spring in its compressed state. The lever is fulcrumed upon a depending bail 12 or similar structure provided on the frame of the air-craft and may be removed after the s )ringhas been compressed. The locking r0 or trip 11 is pivotally mounted in the upper end of a short post 13 projectin" from the said bail 12 between the lower coils of the retaining rods, as clcarl shown.

The parachute 14, when it is to (led and not in use, is fitted within a sectional tube or casing 15 which is adapted to fit within the container 2 and is'provided with a top 16 having a dcmnding flange which engages the upper on s of the sections of the tube so as'to old the same in their assembled relation. The rope 17 attached to and extending from the parachute is equipped with a bottom retaining plate 18 which engages the lower ends of tie sections of the tube 15 so as to hold them together and permit them to readily enter the container 2. The rope or cable 17 is equi ped at its free end with a buckled around the waist of the aviator so that he will be prepared for instantaneous action in the event of an accident.

The parachute eompriscs a flexible textile cover and a folding frame consisting of ribs 20 and strcteher's 21 pivoted to the ribs at; their outerends and at their inner ends pivoted to a disk or collar 29., a coiled spring 28 being connected with the said disk or head and with the upper ends of the ribs, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and being normally under tension, so that, when the parachute "is released, the spring will draw the head or disk .29. toward the upper ends of the ribs and thereby move the ribs outwardly at their lower ends and thereby open the parachute.

When the parachute is to be applied to the air-craft, it is folded so as to fit within the sectional tube 15, and the top to of said tube is then placed in position over the closed sections. The bottom 18 is then moved into engagement with the lower ends oi the sections so that the tube will be held firml closed around the parachute, after whie i it is inserted into the container 2 with the bottom 18 rcstinr upon the a wing 4- and the cable 17 extending upwardly between the tube and the container and projecting from the upper end of the container. A

$hould the use of the parachute be necessary, the aviator, by givinga quick lateral blow upon the retaining rod or tri 11, will release the same from the lugs 7, w icreupon the spring 4 will at once expand and eject the tube 15, with the parachute therein, through the upper end of the container. As the tube emerges from the container, the sections of the tube will tend to fall apart under the pressure exerted thereon through the parachute by the spring 23, so that, when the lower end of the tube clears the container, the pull exerted upon the rope 17 by the weight of the aviator will withdraw the bottom white 18 from the tube and the sections of the same will fall away from the parachute which will then at once expand.

It will be readily noted that I have provided a parachute which will open automatically and instantly without waiting for the inllucnce of the air currents below the same as is the case with the parachutes in common use. It will also be noted that the parachute is secured upon the frame of the air vessel in such a manner that it will be in position for instant use whenever needed, ant, at the same time, will occupy very little space so as to offer )ractically no resistance to the passage of the vessel through the air.

The coiled spring may be compressed by applying the hand directly to. the cross bar 8 connecting the keepers (l, but the operation is made easier by using the lever 10, and. this lever may be removed after the spring has been compressed and the keepers engaged by the retaining rod or tri 11 so as to avoid any liability of the sai lever interfering with the quick and automatic release of the parachute when it is needed.

If desired, a parachute of sullicient size to support both the airship and occupant may we employed. If such is the case, the

rope 17 will be attached to the center of the top plane of the airship, thus causing the latter to fall on an even keel, the planes therefore being level to resist the fall and practically support the weight of the airship.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is 1- 1. The combination of a parachute, a sectional tube adapted to fit around the parachute when the same is closed, means within the parachute to open the same and separate the sections of the tube, a container for said tube and parachute, and means for ejecting the tube and arachute from the container.

2. The com )ination of a. container, a sectional tube adapted to fit therein, a parachute adapted to fold within said tube, means for ejecting the parachute and said tube from the container, means for normally holding the ejecting means inactive retaining the parachute and the tube within the container, means for releasing said retainin r means whereby the parachute and the tn 0 will be ejected, and means within the mrachute to open the same and separate the sections of the tube.

3. The combination of a container a sec tional tube adapted to fit therein, a parachute adapted to fit within the sectlonal tube, a detachable to) adapted to extend over the upper end oi said tube, ajbotto'm plate connected with the parachute and adapted to engage the lower end of diesellapsible tube, and means for ejecting said tn )0 and the parachute from thecontainer. In tOStllllOlW whereof I atllx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. NAGEL.

Witnesses:

Homer: G. BOWLEB, WM. H. MORTABIIED.

Contact of this patent may be obtained for flve cents each, by addreastng the Commissioner 01 ratenta, Washington, D. 0." 

